‘NBA 2K17’ Produced An Eerily Accurate Version Of Jimmy Butler’s Buzzer-Beater

When Jimmy Butler hit his step-back jumper to beat the Brooklyn Nets at the buzzer on Wednesday night, it was obvious it was a move he’d practiced thousands of times. After all, what star or primary scorer in this league doesn’t have a credible step-back? Still, it’s a credit to the hyper-realism of NBA 2K17 that a user can recreate Butler’s shot in the game, damn near down to the millimeter.

Honestly, the celebration wasn’t far off, either. We’re approaching the uncanny valley of sports video games, where some of them have become so lifelike that it can begin to be a little off-putting. Then again, with every technological advancement, we also get our fake players imbued with just as much personality as our real ones. With that in mind, are you thinking what I’m thinking? Meet me in the next paragraph.

So in certain modes, NBA 2K17 does fake social media posts to mimic the experience of the interaction between life and sports. That means that virtual Jimmy Butler can be programmed to try to score a hookup for Dwyane Wade, and virtual Gabrielle Union can call him out on fake 2K Twitter. Then maybe you could be prompted on whether to issue an apology or keep up the playful banter on Twitter! “Hit X to post a cry-laugh emoji,” am I right?